Ohana Means Family

Ohana Family
Hawaii Aloha Travel > Blog > Ohana Means Family

Lilo put it well, “Ohana means family.” And I bet you can finish the rest…”Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.” From there, the saying stuck like the orange li hing mui stains on your fingers – rapidly spreading across the globe as a little piece of the Hawaiian culture. Family in Hawaii has an extended meaning that includes more than just blood-related relatives. Some are hanai (adopted) or maybe spent a little too many nights sleeping over a friend’s house (like me growing up; I must have had a slew of “second families” throughout the Windward side!)

It’s interesting to note the evolution of the term “ohana,” which didn’t always include the neighbors down the street or one of your childhood besties. It used to be strictly a term to describe blood relationships. The root word oha in ohana refers to the root of the kalo plant, a Hawaiian staple believed to also be our first ancestor. But in contemporary Hawaii, everyone is someone’s aunty or uncle. We call older relatives “aunty” or “uncle” out of respect, even though they may not be related; whereas, in other places, they may address the elder with “Mr.,” “Ms.” or “Mrs.”

Oftentimes families are so big here that it’s difficult to get to know everyone. Even ‘til today, Ohana Family I’m still meeting extended relatives. We recently went to a get-together for my great aunty and uncle, who were visiting from the east coast. A super-casual-rubber-slipper style gathering – just the way I like it! As I walked up the driveway, it instantly felt like home – the barking dog inside sounded all too familiar; strangely similar to my dachshund. Turns out, it was practically a look-alike! The dog’s owner, Aunty Harune, and I instantly connected; talking “Doxie” with her made it feel like we’d known each other for years. The house full of first cousins, second cousins, grand-aunts and uncles, grandkids and so on made her home even more lively than the retro shag rugs that added to its vintage decor.

Making memories and capturing them through photos to enjoy for years to come!

Meeting my mom’s side of the family was an event in itself. From Uncle David’s magic tricks to feeding Sophie and Chibu (the family chinchilla and dachshund), there was laughter and memories to be had by everyone. And not to mention, the heaps of food to be had. Because Hawaii families are often made up of an array of ethnicities, the food spread can be a perse one as well. Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese and American dishes made their way into our tummies; right before picture taking, of all things! That meant some major sucking-in-tummy action..

And we all know: It’s not official, ‘til it’s Facebook Official. As soon as we got home that day, I had a handful of friend requests from Ohana family aunties and uncles and cousins. I swear it could’ve been made into a Facebook commercial – “Connecting loved ones…Virtually.” Or maybe a commercial on our Facebooking Grandma. But that’s a whole ‘notha story. LOL. Can’t wait for our next get-together. My second cousin, Holly, put it well. As quoted from a recent Wall post to me: “I’m sure there’s more family to meet!”

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